According to Microsoft, the Windows RT version of its Surface tablet will launch in the fall. About three months later, the Windows 8 Pro option will hit store shelves. When that happens, it'll be a much different mobile market. Windows 8 will be on store shelves and vendors will be offering new devices running the software. There's a chance that Apple might have its own mini iPad available. And for the first time, Microsoft will be pitting its own products against those that come from its OEM partners. That Microsoft is now competing with hardware OEMs with its new Surface tablet is surprising in and of itself. However the sheer number of companies it's competing with might just be moreover surprising. Apple and Google are obvious targets for the company, yet the very fact that Dell, Acer in short many others are in its cross hairs is shocking, and to top it all. The following slides will examine the products and companies that will be competing with the Microsoft's Surface and examine why the company has initiated a change in business strategy to take on devices that could ultimately improve its own Windows 8 market share.

The king of tablets

As the king of tablets, it's no surprise that Apple's iPad is squarely in Microsoft's Surface cross hairs. The iPad is the reason Microsoft has no presence in the tablet space and could very then be the reason Microsoft is determined to break Apple's hold on the tablet market.

According to Microsoft, the Surface for Windows 8 Pro is designed with corporate users in mind. So then, guess what? So is the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook. So far, the PlayBook hasn't performed all that then in the corporate world. Will the Surface buck that trend?

If Ultrabooks have made this roundup, why shouldn't Apple's MacBook Air? In short, that's the device that kicked off the Ultrabook craze, and it's the product that can match the Surface both in design and functionality. Look for the MacBook Air and Surface to be real competitors in the coming months.

When Google's hardware partners unveiled their Chromebooks, the search giant said that it viewed the platform as a possible computing possibility for enterprise clients. Microsoft has said the same about its Surface for Windows 8 Pro. You know what that means? A battle is brewing.

Although much of the focus on the Surface has related to its battle with Apple's iPad, it's such as likely that the Microsoft tablet will as well have to contend with Samsung's Galaxy Tab line. Samsung's tablets are leading the Android market, and could prove to be such as worrisome a competitor as Apple's slate.

Moving away from hardware for a moment, it's important to point out that Microsoft is as well trying to one-up Apple with its Surface cover. Unlike Apple's offering, which is designed solely to protect the iPad, Surface's cover doubles as a multi-touch keyboard. It's a neat idea.